The Pentagon is denying reports Russian forces brought down
a U.S. Army surveillance drone on a mission over Crimea.

An unnamed Pentagon official told ABC News the report was
false and denied the U.S. is flying drone missions over Crimea, the disputed
region of Ukraine where Russia has tens of thousands of troops stationed.

On Friday, Russian-owned arms group Rostec said it has used
advanced technology to bring down the drone. The company said the identification
number on the drone showed it was a Northrop Grumman-made MQ-5B operated by the
66th Reconnaissance Brigade based in Bavaria.

The denial comes as tensions between the U.S. and
Russia continue to intensify, with the White House announcing sanctions against 11
high-ranking Russian and Crimean officials on Monday. The U.S. has beefed up the presence
of military forces in Eastern Europe, including about 150 airmen and 12 F-16
fighters on a training mission in Poland and six F-15s and a KC-135 aerial
refueling plane to Lithuania to protect Baltic airspace.

The U.S. also said it is proceeding with military exercises
planned for July in Ukraine.